Motor operated latch mechanism



Aug. 23, 1960 s G. IVANKOVICS ETAL 2,949,889

MOTOR OPERATED LATCH MECHANISM Filed March 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR. STEP/lZW 6- /VANA0 W65 BY 64/9010 AJV/Ail.

1960 s. G. IVANKOVICS ETAL 2,949,889

MOTOR OPERATED LATCH MECHANISM III I-l W L IN VEN TOR.

l swam 6'. mwmwcs United States Patent ice MOTOR OPERATED LATCHMECHANISM Stephen G. Ivankovics and Garold R. Mikel, South Bend,

Ind., assignors to The Bendix Corporation, a corporation of DelawareFiled Mar. 19, 1954, Ser. No. 417,339

1 Claim. (Cl. 121- 40) This invention relates in general to lockingmeans and in particular to a latch mechanism adapted to hold in placethe power element of a loaded mechanism such as an energized pressuredifferential operated motor.

It is an object of our invention to provide a power operated latchmechanism for holding, in its ready to fire position, the power elementof a loaded pressure differential operated firing motor.

Yet another object of our invention is to provide a double actingtubular shaped hydraulic latch motor the power element of which isadapted to actuate, that is move to their latching position, a pluralityof latch elements; and another object of our invention is to combine,with the latch motor, a motor to be controlled by said latch motor thepower element of the controlled motor being held in a certain positionbythe latch elements and serving, with an operation of the controlledmotor, to return the latch elements to their inoperative position.

A further object of our invention is to provide a controlled pressuredifierential operated motor having a fluid receiving compartmentoutlined by a portion of the casing of the motor and the power elementof the motor, said compartment housing a power operated latch mechanism,including a tubular pressure differential operated latch motor, a rodconnected to the power element of the motor being slidably mountedwithin the tubular casing of the latch motor.

Another object of our invention is to provide an easily serviced andcompact pressure difierential operated latch mechanism of relatively fewparts.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a view, largely in section, disclosing the latchingmechanism of our invention adapted to control a pressure differentialoperated motor; and

Figure 2 is a sectional view disclosing the details of the latchmechanism of our invention.

There is disclosed, in the two figures of the drawings, one embodimentof our invention said embodiment including, in the broadest sense, meansto be latched or locked in position and means to effect this operation.The latter means preferably includes a double acting hydraulic latchmotor 10 comprising a tubular shaped casing member 12 having secured toone end thereof a flange 14 constituting one end of the motor. To theflange 14 there is secured a tubular shaped casing member 16 housedwithin the casing member 12. A tubular shaped casing member 13 is spacedfrom the casing member 16 to provide an annular shaped opening 15 whichreceives ball latch members 17. The casing of the motor 10 is, in thepresent embodiment of our invention and as is clearly disclosed inFigure 2, completed by a portion of a hereinafter described fluidpressure motor 18, that is the controlled motor of our invention. In thepresent embodiment of our invention the motor 10 is secured to theaforementioned motor 18 by a ring member 20 said member being secured tothe casing of the motor 18.

Continuing the description of the latch motor 10 a tubular shaped powerelement or piston member 22 is reciprocable within the casing of saidmotor said power element being reduced in diameter at one end thereof toreceive a cam like ring member 24 of relatively hard material. Themember 24 and a large diametered portion 26 of the piston member 22together outline an annular recess 28 in the power element to receivethe ball latch members 17. These latch members are moved outwardly bythe ring 24 when the piston 22 is moved to the right, Figure 2, therebymore completely forcing said latch members into the annular shapedopening 15. In this operation the balls 17 are moved into contact withthe outer face of a hollow piston rod 34- and with a ring 36 ofrelatively hard material secured to said rod. The ring 36 in contactingthe balls 17 serves as a stop means to prevent a leftward movement,Figure 2, of the piston 40 when said balls are in their latchingposition; and said ring also serves as a cam to force the balls 17 intothe motor 10.

Describing now the controlled portion of the mechanism of our inventionthe aforementioned fluid pressure motor 18 includes a casing 38 and apiston or power element 40 reciprocable therein. The casing is providedwith a plurality of openings 42 therein said openings registering with'ahousing member 44. This member 44, or so-called accumulator, houses apower fluid, such as air, under pressure and the pressure of the air andingress and egrees of the same to and from the accumulator is controlledby a plurality of valves and otherinstru' ments 46, Figure 1,constituting no part of our invention.

The controlling latch motor 10 and latch elements 17, together with thecontrolled motor 18, in other words all of the mechanism disclosed inthis application are disclosed in the Herron et a1. application for US.Patent No. 448,098 filed August 5, 1954, now US. Patent No. 2,810,288.

Describing now the operation of the mechanism of our invention andincidentally describing elements thereof not heretofore described, thecontrolled fluid pressure motor 18, which may be termed a firing motor,is primed, that is conditioned in its ready to tire state, by thenecessary operation of controls including the controls 46. By thisoperation the pressure of the air in the accumulator 44 and acompartment 48 of the motor 18 are built up to say p.s.i. Nowimmediately prior to and in preparation for this operation the piston 40is moved to and locked in the position disclosed in two figures of thedrawing this operation being effected by the operation of the latchmotor 10 and by the energization of a double acting fluid pressure motor50, Figure 1, constituting no part of our invention. Describing thelatter motor and its operation, a power element 52 thereof and a rod 54connected to said power element are moved to the right, Figure 1, a yolkmember 56 connected to the rod 54 serving to abut a stop member 57secured to the rod 34; and this operation serves to move the piston 40to the ready to fire position disclosed in the drawings. The motor 50includes fluid receiving compartments 58 and 60 to which are connectedconduits 62 and 64 respectively, said conduits being connected to avalve mechanism, not shown, operative to control the ingress and egressof power fluid, preferably oil, to and fronrthe compartments 58 and 60depending on the direction of motion desired of the power element of themotor. After the piston 40 of the controlled motor 18 has been placed inits ready to fire position the motor 50 is energized to return the yolk56 to the position disclosed in Figure 1. It is also to be noted thatthe rightward movement of the piston 40 is limited by a stop 66 securedto the rod 34 said stop moving into abutment with the flange portion 14of the casing of the motor 10.

After the power element of the firing motor 18 is placed in its ready tofire position the latch motor is energized to move the piston 22 thereofto the right to the position disclosed in the drawings. This operationis effected by the operation of a valve mechanism, not shown, saidmechanism controlling the flow of power fluid, preferably oil, via aconduit 68 into a compartment 70 of the latch motor. Simultaneous withthis operation oil is forced, via a conduit 72, from a compartment 74 ofthe motor 10. As described above the balls 17 or latch elements of ourinvention are now positioned to lock the piston 40 in its ready to tireposition; for they then are contacted by the stop ring 36.

The motor 18 is now ready to be fired whereupon the operator operatesthe control valve mechanism of the latch motor 10 to move the powerelement 22 to the left oil under pressure entering the motor compartment74 and flowing from the compartment 70; and this operation releases thethen energized motor 18 the piston '40 thereof moving rapidly to theleft, Figure 2, and pulling with it say a guided missile or other device76 being tested said device being secured to the rod 34. In thisoperation the latch balls 17 are forced back into the recess 28 in thepiston 22 said balls being then completely housed within the latchmotor.

The firing operation having been completed, the motor 50 is then againenergized to move the piston 40 back to its ready to fire position andthe latch motor 10 is then again energized to position the latch members17 in their operative position. The motor 50 is then energized to returnthe yolk 56 to its oif position and the motor 18 is again primed withair under pressure thereby completing the operation of preparing themechanism for another firing operation. I There is thus provided arelatively simple and compact power operated latching mechanismincluding a controlled device, such as the motor 18 and the controllingmechanism such as the latching motor 10 and latch members 17. Thelatching motor and latch members operated thereby may however be used asa latch mechanism for other devices than the motor 18 disclosed in thedrawings; for the casing of the motor 10 may be secured to othermechanisms to be controlled, the latch members 17 then serving totemporarily hold or latch a member in position.

We claim:

The combination with a single acting pressure differential operatedmotor comprising a cylindrical casing, a reciprocable power pistonlocated in said casing and hav ing a piston rod connected to said pistonand extending through an end wall of said casing, of a cylindrical latchcasing mechanism surrounding said piston rod and having one end mountedon an end wall within said motor casing, said latch casing having anopening adjacent to said rod, a movable latch member located in saidopening, a reciprocable fluid actuated sleeve member located in saidlatch casing and having means for presetting and releasing said latch,includingv a recess formed in the sleeve intermediate the ends thereofadapted to receive the latch, a latch setting membermounted on said rodand located adjacent to the opening in said latch casing and inengagement with said latch member at the time of presetting by thereturn movement of said sleeve, manually controlled fluid pressure meansfor pressurizing the sleeve in one direction to release the latch and inthe opposite direction to preset said latch, and a stop member mountedon the rod and spaced from said latch setting member for engaging thelatch casing to efiect positioning of said latch setting member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS11,503,280 Osbourne July 29, 1924 11,956,110 Turrettini Apr. 24, 19342,393,962 Ash-ton Feb. 5, 1946 2,632,425 Grover Mar. 24, 1953 FOREIGNPATENTS 48,98 1 Sweden Aug. 24, 1917 443,871 Great Britain Mar. 5, 1936573,033 Great Britain Nov. 2, 1945

